What is stress?
Anything that increases our stress hormones is stress. A tiger in real life is a very stressful situation and our bodies prepare us with a burst of energy to either fight it or to run away. With the threats are internal or cannot be modified, it makes sense to learn to deal with stress effectively. Stress can either be acute ( such as death in the family, divorce, break up) or it can be chronic ( living in an abusive relationship, suffering chronic health problems or pain).
We might know that constantly heightened stress is implicated in depression. However stress is also implicated in several health conditions physical and mental. Increased blood pressure, gastritis, chronic fatigue and burnout can all happen as a result of stress.
How to deal with stress?
Stress cannot be eliminated from our lives completely. It is also unrealistic to aim to. In fact some degree of stress can help us achieve our goals and keep us motivated. However we can make our minds and body resilient to stress so that we have the right tools to reach out to when we are unable to cope.
NON JUDGEMENTAL FRIENDS
Having non judgmental friends to share and socialize makes a huge difference. Positive socializing has a huge impact in managing stress.
VALIDATE HOW YOU FEEL
Always validate how you feel. It is OK to feel upset, angry or hurt by situations that you feel is not acceptable. Do not try to suppress your emotions. Instead try….
JOURNALING YOUR THOUGHTS
Maintain a diary to journal your thoughts for 5 minutes every day. Writing down your thoughts helps your thoughts take form and you can see a pattern in your thinking.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a state of awareness of the here and now. Being mindful of your breath, your body, the surroundings is a good way to become more aware of stress and manage it. Let your emotions pass over you like a cloud. Do not judge your thoughts. You can breathe in and out and imagine your anger or hurt going out as you breathe.
SELF LOVE
The first step to looking after yourself with nourishing food and exercise is to practice self love. Give yourself compliments and positive self suggestions . You can write one positive quality about yourself everyday. Look after yourself as well as you would look after a baby or a pet.
GRATITUDE
Write one thing you are grateful for everyday. Gratitude has scientifically proven evidence to change your wiring of the brain.
ROUTINE
Bring in a routine especially with regularity of diet, exercise, yoga and sleep.
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
Manage your expectations of others and others expectations of you. Accept people as they are and draw boundaries. Offer realistically what you can do and stick to it.
FORGIVE
Forgiveness is ultimate self care. Forgiveness is the art of letting go of your anger towards a person or situation. Learn to forgive and let go of your anger. There are several strategies you can use to forgive.
PLEASANT ACTIVITIES
Do ONE pleasant activity a day. This can include gardening, listening to music, cooking or chatting with friends.
REDUCE BASELINE ANXIETY
Reduce baseline anxiety by mindful breathing, progressively tensing and relaxing your muscles, imagery of a pleasant place etc.
EXERCISE
Do not underestimate the importance of exercising. Exercise up to 30-45 minutes a day. Aim to increase your heart rate. Stay hydrated.
Chennai minds understands that many corporate employees suffer stress and mental health issues. Hence we are offering EAP counselling by the Best psychiatrist in Chennai. We are doing this by conducting workshops to start with to educate people on how to take charge of their wellness and teach them the right tools to manage their wellness.
